Press release

Brazil to defend men's junior crown at home

Brazil, winners of the last FIVB Men's Junior Volleyball Championship, will have the chance to defend their title in front of their home fans

Lausanne, Switzerland, February 15, 2011 – Brazil will have the chance to defend their FIVB Men's Junior World Championship crown in front of their home fans when they host the 2011 edition of the biennial tournament between August 1 and 10.

Taking place in Campo Grande and Rio de Janeiro, the 16th edition of the competition, which began in 1977, will include 16 teams, 11 of whom have already qualified. With just five vacancies remaining for European teams – to be decided in qualifying tournaments later this year – many sides have already begun their preparations.

NORCECA will have three representatives taking part with USA, Canada and Puerto Rico all making the journey south. The United States will be looking to improve on their last outing in the tournament where they finished eighth, crashing out at the second round stage following losses to Brazil, Cuba and Iran. Canada will aim to move up the rankings after placing 11th in 2007, while it will be the third appearance for Puerto Rico, who were ninth in their last appearance in 1997.

Japan return to the tournament for the first time since 2007 after they qualified alongside India and Iran at the 15th Men's Junior Asian Championship last October. India hosted the last Men's Junior World Championship in Pune and rewarded their home fans with a fourth-placed finish, the highest position they have recorded in the competition. Iran came seventh, failing to match the bronze medal they won in 2007.

Tunisia and Egypt will make up the African contingent in Brazil with both coming through the CAVB qualifiers unscathed. Neither have managed a podium place since the tournament's inception – Egypt's best was ninth place in 2003, while Tunisia claimed fifth in 1993.

Brazil and Argentina will be hoping their South American counterparts will be rooting for them as they prepare to represent the host continent. The Brazilians won the CSV Men's Junior Championship last September with Argentina following in second spot at the expense of Venezuela and Chile. While Brazil have won the Junior World Championship on four occasions (1993, 2001, 2007 and 2009), Argentina have only finished on the podium once, taking bronze in 2009.

Russia are the only side to have qualified so far from Europe as winners of the 2010 CEV Men's Junior Championship. They will be joined by the five sides who come through the qualifying series taking place in May.